Overview
- Brief Narrative
- German antisemitic propaganda poster encouraging Germans to fight against unfair Jewish business practices, designed by Hans Schweitzer (Mjőlnir). The poster features an image of an Aryan businessman standing in the doorway of a storefront called “German Business” who has just kicked out a Jewish peddler, symbolizing that German businesses will longer deal with Jews. The peddler is dressed all in black with a stereotypical dark and curly beard, payot, and a hooked nose. He is portrayed with yellow skin, a symbol of cowardice, betrayal, and ill health, to emphasize the antisemitic trope of his untrustworthy nature. The Nazis used propaganda to push the narrative that haggling Jewish traders were bad for German business and society. Nazi propaganda won the support of millions of Germans, affirmed Nazi ideas of racial superiority, and created an atmosphere that tolerated violence against Jews. They communicated their propaganda through art, music, film, radio, books, posters, and other published materials. Hans Schweitzer, who used the pen name Mjőlnir, was friends with Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, and created many posters for the Nazi Party. In 1935, he was appointed as Representative for Artistic Design and worked in conjunction with the Ministry of Propaganda for the creation of exhibitions, erection of monuments, and the development of insignia and national symbols. Later he worked with a commission to decide how to utilize artwork stolen from Nazi victims.
- Artwork Title
- Raus mit dem jüdischen Schachergeist
- Alternate Title
- Out with the Jewish Haggling System
- Date
-
publication/distribution:
1936-1937
- Geography
-
publication:
Germany
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Alex and Boots Kertesz Family
- Markings
- front, center, printed, black ink : Raus / mit dem / jüdischen / Schachergeist [Out with the Jewish haggling system]
front, center, within image, printed, white : DEUTSCHES GESCHÄFT [German business]
front, center within image, printed, black ink : Feste Preise [firm prices]
front, bottom, right corner, printed, black : WALDHEIM [W overtop horizontal E] EBERLE - Signature
- front, bottom left, printed, black : MJÖLNIR
- Contributor
-
Artist:
Mjölnir
Subject: Mjölnir
Publisher: Waldheim und Eberle
- Biography
-
Hans Schweitzer (1901-1980) was born in Berlin, and joined the Nazi party in 1926. As a member of the party, Schweitzer created cartoons, caricatures, and political posters under the penname, Mjölnir. He worked for several Nazi newspapers, including the Völkischer Beobachter (The People’s Observer) and a paper published by early Nazi leaders Gregor and Otto Strasser. With his artistic talents, Schweitzer advanced through the party. He was appointed as an honorary member of the SS and became friends with Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Later, Schweitzer illustrated several books for Goebbels, including Die Verfluchten Hakenkreuzen, published in 1930. Throughout the 1930s, Schweitzer created images for Nazi antisemitic, political, and election posters. He was also a cartoonist for the paper Der Angriff (The Attack), publish by Goebbels, and illustrated the book, Kampf um Berlin (Fight for Berlin). In 1935, he was appointed as Representative for Artistic Design and worked in conjunction with the Ministry of Propaganda for the creation of exhibitions, erection of monuments, and the development of insignia and national symbols. Later, he worked with a commission to decide how to utilize artwork stolen from Nazi victims. Schweitzer was arrested by American authorities in 1947 and fined 500 deutsche marks for his actions during the Holocaust. In 1955, he had his Nazi record expunged and was able to work as an illustrator and teacher.
Physical Details
- Language
- German
- Classification
-
Posters
- Category
-
Anti-Jewish propaganda
- Object Type
-
Posters, German (lcsh)
- Genre/Form
- Posters.
- Physical Description
- Color, offset lithographic poster printed on off-white paper and adhered to a white linen backing. The poster depicts a German businessman kicking a Jewish trader out of his store. The businessman is standing in the doorway of a red and yellow storefront, wearing plaid pants and a brown dress jacket, with his leg raised in a kicking motion. Across the sidewalk, a Jewish man wearing all black clothing flies headfirst through the air. He is depicted with a stereotypical hooked nose, hooded eyes, long beard, and yellow-looking skin. His hat has flown off, revealing his payot and bald head, and he has dropped his box of trinkets which are spilled on the pavement.
- Dimensions
- overall: Height: 24.625 inches (62.548 cm) | Width: 37.375 inches (94.933 cm)
- Materials
- overall : paper, ink, linen, adhesive
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- No restrictions on access
- Conditions on Use
- No restrictions on use
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- Anti-Jewish propaganda--Germany. Antisemitism--Economic aspects. Jewish peddlers-Caricatures and cartoons. Lithography, German--20th century. Nazi Propaganda--Germany.
- Geographic Name
- Germany.
- Personal Name
- Mjölnir, 1901-1980.
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The poster was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1993 by Alex Kertesz.
- Record last modified:
- 2024-10-03 10:58:24
- This page:
- http://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn8222
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Also in Alex and Boots Kertesz family collection
The collection consists of five antisemitic posters published in Nazi Germany.
Date: 1936-1937
Antisemitic poster by Fips depicting a Jew banging his head in response to Nazi German business
Object
German antisemitic propaganda poster encouraging Germans to fight against unfair Jewish business practices, by Philipp Rupprecht (Fips). The poster features a Jewish peddler banging his head in frustration when he sees storefront signs saying German businesses will no longer engage in Jewish haggling. The peddler has stereotypically exaggerated features: a long nose, a beard, red eyes, and heavyset. He is portrayed in shadowy, charcoal and black colors to emphasize the antisemitic trope of his untrustworthy nature, and to contrast the lighter colored, purer, Aryan storefront. The Nazis used propaganda to push the narrative that haggling Jewish peddlers were bad for German business and society. Nazi propaganda won the support of millions of Germans, affirmed Nazi ideas of racial superiority, and created an atmosphere that tolerated violence against Jews. They communicated their propaganda through art, music, film, radio, books, posters, and other published materials. Philipp Rupprecht, who used the penname Fips, was one of the Nazi’s preeminent propaganda creators. Rupprecht was an artist for Julius Streicher’s Der Stürmer, an antisemitic newspaper that prominently displayed Rupprecht’s work. His illustrations portrayed Jews as heartless and cruel, and featured discriminatory images of Jews with exaggerated facial features, and misshapen bodies. Rupprecht also illustrated the antisemitic children’s book Der Giftpilz (The Poisonous Mushroom).
Antisemitic broadside by Fips claiming German business and Jews are incompatible
Object
German antisemitic propaganda poster featuring sales tags encouraging Germans to fight against unfair Jewish business practices, designed by Philipp Rupprecht (Fips). The Nazis used propaganda to push the narrative that Jewish greed was a burden to society. The poster uses the antisemitic trope of the Jewish usurer; a moneylender who charges excessive interest, which originated from the Middle Ages. In many areas of medieval Europe, Jews were barred from many occupations and from owning land. In turn, they had to rely on interest from moneylending to earn income. During this time, the Catholic Church regarded moneylending for interest as immoral, and prohibited Catholics from the practice. Because of this stigma, Jewish moneylenders were seen as immoral and predatory by their Catholic counterparts. These ideas evolved into the antisemitic concept of the fraudulent, parasitic, Jewish businessman who worshipped money. Nazi propaganda used this trope to promote the narrative that Jews were bad for German (Aryan) business and created an atmosphere that tolerated violence against Jews. The Nazis communicated their propaganda through art, music, film, radio, books, posters, and other published materials. Philipp Rupprecht, who used the pen name Fips, was one of the Nazi’s preeminent propaganda creators. Rupprecht was an artist for Julius Streicher’s Der Stürmer, an antisemitic newspaper that prominently displayed Rupprecht’s work. His illustrations portrayed Jews as heartless and cruel, and featured discriminatory images of Jews with exaggerated facial features, and misshapen bodies. Rupprecht also illustrated the antisemitic children’s book Der Giftpilz (The Poisonous Mushroom).
Antisemitic poster by Fips urging Germans to fight Jewish overpricing
Object
German antisemitic propaganda poster encouraging Germans to fight against unfair Jewish business practices, designed by Philipp Rupprecht (Fips). The poster features a German businessman with a Jewish money lender (that he likely owes money to) on his mind. The Nazis used propaganda to push the narrative that Jewish greed was a burden to society. The image uses the antisemitic trope of the Jewish usurer; a moneylender who charges excessive interest, which originated in the Middle Ages. In many areas of medieval Europe, Jews were barred from many occupations and from owning land. In turn, they had to rely on interest from moneylending to earn income. During this time, the Catholic Church regarded moneylending for interest as immoral, and prohibited Catholics from the practice. Because of this stigma, Jewish moneylenders were seen as immoral and predatory by their Catholic counterparts. These ideas evolved into the antisemitic concept of the fraudulent, parasitic, Jewish businessman who worshipped money. Nazi propaganda used this trope to promote the narrative that Jews were bad for German (Aryan) business and created an atmosphere that tolerated violence against Jews. The Nazis communicated their propaganda through art, music, film, radio, books, posters, and other published materials. Philipp Rupprecht, who used the penname Fips, was one of the Nazi’s preeminent propaganda creators. Rupprecht was an artist for Julius Streicher’s Der Stürmer, an antisemitic newspaper that prominently displayed Rupprecht’s work. His illustrations portrayed Jews as heartless and cruel, and featured discriminatory images of Jews with exaggerated facial features, and misshapen bodies. Rupprecht also illustrated the antisemitic children’s book Der Giftpilz (The Poisonous Mushroom).
Antisemitic poster by Fips depicting a German shop being cheated by Jewish businessmen
Object
German antisemitic propaganda poster encouraging Germans to fight against unfair Jewish business practices, by Philipp Rupprecht (Fips). The poster features two heavyset Jewish businessmen at the entrance of a German store. As one enters, the other one exits, in an apparent attempt to swindle money or goods from the store. The image implies the antisemitic trope of the fraudulent, parasitic, Jewish businessman who worships money, and uses it to push the narrative that Jewish greed was a burden to society and German (Aryan) business. Nazi propaganda was used to win the support of millions of Germans, affirm Nazi ideas of racial superiority, and create an atmosphere that tolerated violence against Jews. They communicated their propaganda through art, music, film, radio, books, posters, and other published materials. Philipp Rupprecht, who used the penname Fips, was one of the Nazi’s preeminent propaganda creators. Rupprecht was an artist for Julius Streicher’s Der Stürmer, an antisemitic newspaper that prominently displayed Rupprecht’s work. His illustrations portrayed Jews as heartless and cruel, and featured discriminatory images of Jews with exaggerated facial features, and misshapen bodies. Rupprecht also illustrated the antisemitic children’s book Der Giftpilz (The Poisonous Mushroom).